Waterproof floor covering



Patented July 16, 1929.

CLIFFORD S. COOLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATERPROOF FLOOR COVERING.

No Drawing.

This invention relates generally to improvements in felt base floor coverings and to a method of producing same.

In general the present method of producing felt base floor coverings carrying a printed design is to immerse an inexpensive grade of felt with a mixture. of asphalt or asphaltum-like products. It is then passed between suitable pressure rollers to thoroughly saturate the felt. The composition is then treated with a sealing coat on both sides, after which a printed design in paint is applied to the upper side. This asphaltum method of producing a floor covering is open to a number of serious objections. In thefirst place, the saturation mixture colors the felt base black, and when the printed surface has worn through, a black spot becomes. apparent. This black spot is' most offensive to the eye and is a detriment to the sale and use of the felt base floor covering. The general public, through years of accustomed use of print linoleum, has become familiar with the medium brown worn portions apparent-when the surface of print linoleum unsightly has worn through. Another objection to asphaltum base floor coverings, is that the more volatile black oils of the asphalt may ooze through the printed design and make stains, and likewise may ooze through the under side and stick to and stain the floor. This oozing through of the asphaltum oils is greatly aggravated by heat as'from the direct rays of the sun, a radiator,

a stove, or open fire-place, etc..- And again,

asphaltum felt'base floor coverings become very brittle at low temperatures, making them exceedingly hard to lay or handle without cracking or tearing. These floor cover- 40 ings are in addition affected by time; that is,

as they become older they become more andmo're brittle. In cases where a dealer has several rolls of these goods of a pattern which is not popular with the public, by the time the last roll is sold, it is very liable to have be come so brittle that it can notbe laidwithout tearing and chipping. Even with the asphaltum floor covering laid, age increases this brittleness with consequent liability of cracking and chipping.- Also the usual asphaltum floor covering seems thin in appearance due to the pressing effect of heavy rollers in the process necessary to saturate and impregnate the felt.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a felt base floor covering which is Application filed February 20, 1926. Serial No. 89,788.

saturated with a mixture producing a natural medlum brown body color in imitation of the natural body color of linoleum. Then when .the printed surface has worn through, this containing oil-soluble coloring matter so as Y to give a body color to theyfelt which will effectively blend with the predominating color of the printed design. Thus, even with the surface design worn through, a certain harmony of color will be maintained.

A further object of my invention is to provide a saturation material of such a nature that if it should ooze through the printed design or the under side; it will not produce stains or mar the floor.

I also provide a floor covering which maintains its flexibility at very low temperatures and is not appreciably affected by time. Also as it is not necessary to subject my floor covering to such heavy pressures, the natural thickness of the felt base is maintained with a consequent increase in its resilience under oot.

A further object of my invention is to provide a durable, artistic, as Well as a comparatively inexpensive water-proof floor covering, which when laid on the floor will remain perfectly flat, and conform closely to any inequalities in the floor surface.

My improved floor covering is made preferably from a suitable inexpensive fibrous material or dry felt. In my process I preferably employ a bleached or semibleached felt, or other suitable fibrous material, so as to secure one which is white or cream in color. This white or cream colored felt is then saturated with a suitable saturation mixture having a neutral color. Such a saturation mixture I have found may consist of approximately one hundred pounds of first run rosin oil, in which are dissolved seven pounds of pulverized manganese and lead resinate in equal proportions. These latter chemicals are generally known as lead and manganese dryer. The rosin oil and lead and manganese dryer are thoroughly mixed and then heated to form a completely uniform mixture. 1 have found that approximately 145 centigrade will serve for this purpose. The quality of the first run rosin oil which I prefer t u e is k wn in the ade as No. 4 fii il is then lowered slightly to about 130 centigrade. The white or cream colored felt is then dipped into the saturation mixture and allowed to remain for a short interval of time, about one or two minutes, when it is taken out and passes between pressure rollers to merely squeeze out the excess of saturation mixture. This relatively light pressure of the pressure rollers leaves the felt at practically.

its original thickness and is more resilient than in an asphalt impregnated floor covering where the heavy pressure. of the rollers is necessary to saturate the felt, and also cause it to' become more compact. The felt very readily absorbs the saturation mixture and should retain from 100% to 140% of its normal moderate room temperature until the saturation mixture held in the felt ceases to mixed together.-

own weight of this mixture after leaving the rollers. While still warm the saturated felt is given a thin coating on both sides of what is generally known as bar oil, which consists of approximately 15 pints of raw linseed oil, pint spirits of turpentine, and one to two tablespoonfuls of japan dryer, all of these ingredients being thoroughly and uniformly The saturation mixture in the felt may then be set 'or dried by heating for about eight hours at from 150 to 200 centigrade in a dry atmosphere. The product is then allowed to thoroughly dry out at be a liquid. I have found that this takes from approximately'48 to 96 hours. At this point in the process the product is ready to receive the printed design in paint on the upper surface, and the protective coating on the under surface.

of paint similar in color to the predominating color of the design to be printed may be given to the product.

With a white or cream color felt imp-regnated with a saturation mixture such as'I have suggested, the resultant product has a medium brown body color quite similar to the natural medium brown body color of linoleum. If it is desired, some oil soluble coloring matter may be added to my saturation mixture before immersing the felt in it to make a product whose body color will blend well with the predominating color of the design to be printed on it. In this instance the immersion of the felt in the colored saturation mixture will carry the oil soluble coloring matter entirely through the body of the porous felt. This may be done so that when the printed surface design wears. off, leaving the saturated felt base body, the worn portion will not be offensive to the eye, but

However, before applying the printed design, if it is so desired, a coat will generally harmonize with the basic effect of the printed design as a whole, and will so continue to harmonize as long as there is any body material left. 1

When the printed design has thoroughly dried, my improved fioor covering is then trimmed, ready for the market.

It will be observed that in my invention the use of a saturation mixture composed largely of rosin oil and particularly the thin coating of bar oil forms a surface exceptionally well adapted to receive the printed surface design. This design being usually made of paint with a large proportion of linseed -or China wood oil forms a close union with these oils in the body proper which causes the surface design to adhere to the floor covering with great tenacity. With the use of an asphaltum product in the saturation mixture such a close union between the body and surface design is not possible, as the asphaltum product is not essentially an oil.

It will of course be understood that my invention can be applied with equal facility to" either rugs, or roll goods. Due to the short impregnation period, roll goods may be saturated by continually passing from a supply. roll through the saturation mixture, light pressure rollers, bar oil treatment, thence to be dried. Thus, the manufacture of my improved-floor covering can readily be carried on as a continuous process.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. An improved floor covering comprising a fibrous material of light color impregnated with a saturation mixture of neutral color, employing rosin oil therein, substantially as set forth.

2. An improved floor covering comprising a fibrous material of light color impregnate with a saturation mixture of neutral color employing rosin oil and a suitable dryer therein, substantially as set forth.

3. An improved floor covering c'omprising a fibrous material of light color impregnated with a saturation mixture of neutral color employing rosin oil, pulverized mangasubstantially 6. An improved floor covering compris-.

a suitable felted fibrous material of light color impregnated with a rosin oil saturation mixture of neutral color, the floor covering having a finishing coat of bar oil, substantially as set forth.

'l. An improved floor covering comprising a suitable felted fibrous material of light color impregnated with a rosin oil saturation mixture of neutral color, a finishing coat on the upper face and a printed desi n on the finishing coat, substantially as set iorth.

8. An improved floor covering comprising a suitable fibrous felted material of light color impregnated with a rosin oil saturation mixture of neutral color, a finishing coat on the upper face, a printed design on the finishing coat, and a protective coating on the under face of the covering, substantially as set forth. v

9. The process of making floor covering which consists in impregnating a suitable felted fibrous material of light color in a rosin oil saturation mixture of neutral color, and in squeezing the excess of the saturation mixture from the fibrous material under light pressure, substantially as set forth.

10. The improved process of making floor covering which consists in immersing a suitable felted fibrous material of light color in a saturation mixture of neutral color employing rosin oil therein, and in squeezing under 12. The improved process of making floorcovering which consists in immersing a fibrous material of light color 1n asaturatlon mixture of neutral color employing rosin 011,

manganese and lead resinate, and in then squeezing under light pressure the excess saturation mixture from the fibrous material, substantially as set forth.

13. An improved floor covering comprising a suitable'felted fibrous material of light color, impregnated with a rosin oil saturation mixture, a design coat applied thereto, said saturation mixture being so colored as to monizes with the predominating or basic color of said design coat, substantlally as set forth.

This specification signed this seventeenth day of February, 1926.

, CLIFFORD S. COOLEY.

produce a floor covering base which har- 

